Last-minute Orlando holiday gifts with lots of local flavor

December 19, 2012|Heather McPherson, FOOD

Have you ever tried to roast chestnuts on an open fire? It's not as warm and lovely as the singers would have you believe. The last thing I need this holiday season is burned fingers and a bowl of singed nuts. Today at orlandosentinel.com/thedish, I'll show you how to roast chestnuts in the oven without a trip to the emergency room. In the meantime, let's dish:

Holiday gifts with local flavor. If you are still shopping for something special for friends and loved ones, consider something with a sweet or savory sense of place. Here are some suggestions:

•Fire up the grill. Package a bottle of barbecue sauce from your favorite local joint with a gift certificate for dinner there and a silicone heat-resistant basting brush. These tools emerge from a dishwasher looking like they're brand new, and the silicone bristles don't shed on meats and vegetables.

•Sweet treat. Local honey is easy to find at farmers markets. Florida is probably best known for the mild, lightly scented orange blossom honey and Tupelo honey, a prized, premium variety produced in northwest Florida. But you should also look for blackberry, buckwheat, clover, gallberry, mangrove, palmetto, sourwood and wildflower. Package with a honey pot (from Williams-Sonoma or Le Creuset, for example) and dipper. For the most variety of Florida honey, check out the store at Tropical Blossom Honey Co., 106 N. Ridgewood Ave. in Edgewater (just south of New Smyrna Beach).

•Cooking by the book. "The Ravenous Pig: Seasons of Florida" ($35), by chefs James and Julie Petrakis, shares recipes from one of Central Florida's best restaurants, including the signature Gruyere Biscuits, Shrimp & Grits and sinful Pig Tail dessert (think indulgent doughnuts, not pork). The book is sold at the Pig, 1234 N. Orange Ave., and at its sister restaurant, Cask & Larder, 565 W. Fairbanks Ave., both in Winter Park. And if you will allow one self-serving plug: I co-wrote "Field to Feast: Recipes Celebrating Florida Farmers, Chefs and Artisans" ($28) with EdibleOrlando's Pam Brandon and Katie Farmand. The book is available at Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million stores.

The Foodies are coming! It's time to vote for your favorite restaurants in the Orlando Sentinel's 15th annual Foodie Awards. The online ballot has more than 45 categories, including fine dining, wine list, breakfast, brunch, power lunch, food trucks, coffeehouses and bars that serve exceptional food. The final results — along with my picks — will appear in the Calendar section on Friday, Jan. 25. All votes must be cast by midnight Dec. 31. So put down that fork and vote today at OrlandoSentinel.com/foodies.

Heather McPherson can be reached at 407-420-5498, Twitter@OS_thedish and hmcpherson@tribune.com. Follow daily food news at OrlandoSentinel.com/thedish.

Get the dish

Check out the "Morning Mix with Scott McKenzie" recipe of the week, Pot Roast With Roasted Root Vegetables, at OrlandoSentinel.com/thedish and Mix1051.com